Net supporting arrangement



E. M. RESPINI NET SUPPORTING ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 1, 1962 July 20, 1965 INVENTOR. EUGENE M. RESPINI ATTORN 7 United States Patent 3,195,898 NET SUPPORTING ARRANGEMENT Eugene M. Respini, 2725 Brownboro Road, Louisville 6, Ky. Filed Feb. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 170,385 3 Claims. (Cl. Z73181) This invention relates generally to an arrangement for suspending a net or other sheet means in a generally upright position for impeding the flight of balls or other sport related flying objects.

While the invention may be employed in various games and practice sessions related thereto which require a net or the like to be suspended in a generally upright position, the invention is particularly well suited for use as a close range golf practice target. Hence, it will be described in this connection primarily although, as the following proceeds, the utility of the invention in other applications such as badminton, baseball practice, etc., will become readily appreciated by those skilled in the art;

The objects of the invention include the provision of a net supporting structure adapted for quick and easy assembly and dismantling, adapted for either indoor or outdoor use, comprised of parts which in unassembled relation may be stored in a compact package, and which, in service, performs its intended function in a very satisfactory manner.

In accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, the arrangement comprises a flexible net or sheet supported in a generally upright position by a pair of opposite side poles having their upper ends connected to the respective upper corners of the net and having their bottom ends supported by base means urging the poles in opposite, generally outward directions so that the upper ends of the poles must be deflected inwardly to a substantial degree to assume their connected positions. As a result, the poles exert a substantial outward force on the upper corners of the net so that inordinate sagging of the net is prevented without any requirement for guy lines, or horizontal cross bars along the upper edge of the net. Preferably the frame assembly members are separable, in part segmented, and include telescopic joints so that in disassembled relation the parts may be stored in a compact package.

V Where the arrangement is supported on a surface which is not to be penetrated by any part of the structure, the bottom ends of the side poles are supported by base elements spaced apart by a cross member. Preferably the distance is substantially less than the width of the net. The bottom corners of the net are attached to forwardly and outwardly extending legs, and intermediate portions of the net bottom horizontal margin, which preferably is Weighted by means of a sand tube so as to seat firmly, are connected to, and drawn rearwardly toward, the base elements to create tension in the lower horizontal margin of the net. This arrangement results in the whole frame structure of easily separable elements being more or less locked together by the forces created in the frame and resisted by the net and yieldable connections.

Where the arrangement is to be supported upon a surface which may be penetrated, such as the earth or ground, the same net and side poles are used, but ground stakes support the bottom ends of the side poles and the side edges of the net are yieldably connected to the side poles at several points below the upper ends. The ground engaging stakes are so constructed that while they are subject to a substantial rotational force due to the inward deflection of the poles required to make the net connection, they maintain their original position sufliciently, even in relatively soft ground, that no guy lines are required.

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These and other features will be considered in some detail in the following.

The invention will be described in connection with preferred embodiments incorporating the principles of the invention by way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of an outside arrangement embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged isometric view of a preferred ground stake for use in the FIGURE 1 arrangement;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of a telescopic joint;

FIGURE 4 is a front isometric view of a free standing arrangement embodying the invention and particularly adapted for inside use;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, exploded, enlarged isometric view of a portion of the base means of the FIG- URE 4 arrangement; and

FIGURE 6 is a front view illustrating the invention embodied in an arrangement supporting a net of type used in volley ball and badminton.

The outside arrangement, i.e., wherein the supporting surface for the assembly may be penetrated, will be described first. The assembly shown in FIGURE 1 includes a net 10 supported in a generally upright position by the opposite side poles 12 which in turn have their bottom ends connected to ground stakes generally designated 14. The side poles, before being attached to the edges of the net, are disposed as illustrated by the broken line representations thereof. When connected to the upper corners of the net, the upper ends of the side poles are deflected inwardly to assume the bowed positions illustrated. While the means for connecting the upper corner areas of the net to the upper ends of the side poles may take various forms, one satisfactory form is a ring fixed to the net and adapted to be slipped over the upper end of the side pole to engage with detent means to prevent the ring from slipping eitherup or down.

It is preferable in connection with the outside arrangement that the vertical sides of the net be connected to the side poles at the bottom and at intermediate points, and that these connections be elastic in nature to enhance the overall yieldability of the net and frame structure when the net is struck by a high speed flying object. T 0 this end, rings 18 attached to the side edges of the net and having heavy rubber bands 20 looped therethrough and around the poles may be used.

To insure that the bottom edge of the net seats firmly upon the ground or other supporting surface, a flexible tube 22 containing sand or some other relatively heavy granulated material is fastened along the bottom edge. This arrangement minimizes the possibility that a ground ball will pass thereunder.

One net material found to be satisfactory for use as a golf target is a woven nylon mesh having about square openings framed by the nylon filaments.

The side poles 12 are preferably flexible in the sense that they may be deflected inwardly to a substantial degree without the poles taking any appreciable permanent set while connected to the net. Thus the outward force exerted on the net by the poles prevents inordinate sagging of the net. One material found to be quite satisfactory in this respect, and also from the standpoint of light weight, is high tensile aluminum tubing.

For facilitating the packaging of the dismantled assembly in compact form, the side poles 12 are made up of separable segments which are joined or connected in telescopic relation to each other. A simple telescopic joint wherein a reduced diameter end of one segment 12a slips into a mating end of another segment 12b, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, is satisfactory for purposes of the present invention. Close tolerances in these joints are not reerally yieldable since the frames have an inherent spring in them, the connections between the net and frame are for the most part elastic in nature, and no guy lines need be used. Thus the high velocity impact of a ball is readily absorbed by the yieldability of the arrangement so that high velocity rebound is avoided.

The described arrangements made up of separable parts supporting a seven foot by nine foot net, for example, may be conveniently packaged in dismantled form in a cloth bag or the like which fits into a box having dimensions of about 30 inches by 6 inches by 5 inches. The apparatus may be set up or taken down rapidly, such as in less than 5 minutes, by one acquainted with the structure.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the invention embodied in a badminton net and support, and is not deemed to require further comment, except that parts of the same general character as in FIGURES 1 and 3 are designated by the same numerals.

While it has been noted that it is preferable that the hubs in the indoor arrangement (FIGURE 4) be spaced apart substantially less than the width of the net, perhaps some of the reasons for this preferance should be explained. The inward deflection of the side poles 12 revolves the hubs 44 to a slight degree and thus causes the cross member 40 to bow downwardly as shown. If the cross member is as long as the net is wide, the deflection of this member may cause its middle portion to contact the floor and possibly raise the vertical legs of the hubs off the floor. Additionally, since a shorter cross member is more resistant to deflection than a long one, the outward force at the upper ends of the side poles is generally greater with a shorter cross member than with a longer one, assuming all other relationships to be the same.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described, comprising:

(a) sheet means adapted to be supported in a generally upright position to impede the flight of an object;

(b) a pair of opposite side poles connected at their upper ends to the respective upper corners of said sheet means;

(c) base means including joint means co-operable with the bottom ends of said poles to mount said bottom ends in oppositely directed, substantially outwardly tilted dispositions with said pole upper ends being spaced substantially outwardly from said upper corners of said sheet means before said upper end connections are made, said pole upper ends being deflected inwardly to a substantial degree in connected relation With said sheet means;

(d) said base means comprise a pair of inverted I- shaped ground stakes adapted to be forced into the ground in spaced-apart mirror relation to receive the respective bottom ends of said side poles;

(e) the main legs and short legs of said stakes including extended-surface, ground-engaging portions disposed in generally vertical planes substantially normal to the plane of said sheet means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said joint means includes means adapted to be telescopically connected to the bottom ends of said side poles and having its axis tilted outwardly relative to the axis of said main leg.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

(a) each of said side poles is comprised of at least two separable sections including telescopic joint means for joining said sections.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,224,387 5/17 Lane 27329.4 2,480,197 8/49 Rasmussen 18929 X 3,001,795 9/61 Johnson 273-181 3,080,166 3/63 Clark 273102 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING: (A) SHEET MEANS ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED IN A GENERALLY UPRIGHT POSITION TO IMPEDE THE FLIGHT OF AN OBJECT; (B) A PAIR OF OPPOSITE SIDE POLES CONNECTED AT THEIR UPPER ENDS TO THE RESPECTIVE UPPER CORNERS OF SAID SHEET MEANS; (C) BASE MEANS INCLUDING JOINT MEANS-OPERABLE WITH THE BOTTOM ENDS OF SAID POLES TO MOUNT SAID BOTTOM ENDS IN OPPOSITELY DIRECTED, SUBSTANTIALLY OUTWARDLY TILTED DISPOSITIONS WITH SAID POLE UPPER ENDS BEING SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID UPPER CORNERS OF SAID SHEET MEANS BEFORE SAID UPPER END CONNECTION ARE MADE, SAID POLE UPPER ENDS BEING DEFLECTED INWARDLY TO A SUBSTANTIAL DEGREE IN CONNECTED RELATION WITH SAID SHEET MEANS; (D) SAID BASE MEANS COMPRISE A PAIR OF INVERTED JSHAPED GROUND STAKES ADAPTED TO BE FORCED INTO THE 